Number of people employed in agriculture in Malaysia
Malaysia: Number of people employed in agriculture was 1.65 million people in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
1.65 million people
Change on year
down 0.8%
World rank
61st
of 186 countries
All-time high
1.82 million people
in 2015
All-time low
1.13 million people
in 1997
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Number of people employed in agriculture in Malaysia, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
In 2025, number of people employed in agriculture in Malaysia stood at 1.65 million people.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 9.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people employed in agriculture in Malaysia peaked at 1.82 million people in 2015 and was at its lowest, 1.13 million people, in 1997.
Malaysia ranks 61st of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Number of people employed in agriculture in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 1.19 million people | — |
| 1992 | 1.19 million people | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 1.20 million people | +0.1% |
| 1994 | 1.21 million people | +1.2% |
| 1995 | 1.22 million people | +0.9% |
| 1996 | 1.23 million people | +0.8% |
| 1997 | 1.13 million people | -8.1% |
| 1998 | 1.27 million people | +12.5% |
| 1999 | 1.28 million people | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 1.33 million people | +4.0% |
| 2001 | 1.36 million people | +2.0% |
| 2002 | 1.39 million people | +2.1% |
| 2003 | 1.37 million people | -1.2% |
| 2004 | 1.45 million people | +5.6% |
| 2005 | 1.51 million people | +4.1% |
| 2006 | 1.57 million people | +3.7% |
| 2007 | 1.63 million people | +4.3% |
| 2008 | 1.60 million people | -1.9% |
| 2009 | 1.60 million people | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 1.64 million people | +2.3% |
| 2011 | 1.51 million people | -7.7% |
| 2012 | 1.75 million people | +16.0% |
| 2013 | 1.74 million people | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 1.80 million people | +3.1% |
| 2015 | 1.82 million people | +1.5% |
| 2016 | 1.69 million people | -7.3% |
| 2017 | 1.72 million people | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 1.67 million people | -3.2% |
| 2019 | 1.64 million people | -1.3% |
| 2020 | 1.69 million people | +2.6% |
| 2021 | 1.69 million people | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 1.71 million people | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 1.69 million people | -0.7% |
| 2024 | 1.67 million people | -1.5% |
| 2025 | 1.65 million people | -0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.21 million people | 1.13 million people | 1.28 million people | 9 |
| 2000s | 1.48 million people | 1.33 million people | 1.63 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.70 million people | 1.51 million people | 1.82 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.68 million people | 1.65 million people | 1.71 million people | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
- 58 Nepal 1.72 million people compare
- 59 Azerbaijan 1.68 million people compare
- 60 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 1.67 million people compare
- 62 Republic of Korea 1.48 million people compare
- 63 Argentina 1.46 million people compare
- 64 Papua New Guinea 1.35 million people compare
More agriculture & rural data for Malaysia
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 13.04 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0822 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 1,078 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.913 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.2261 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 8.2% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 8.2% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.1% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.3% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people employed in agriculture in Malaysia?
- Number of people employed in agriculture in Malaysia was 1.65 million people in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of people employed in agriculture recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 1.82 million people in 2015.
- What is the lowest number of people employed in agriculture recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.13 million people in 1997.
- How does Malaysia rank for number of people employed in agriculture?
- Malaysia ranks 61st out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is number of people employed in agriculture rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malaysia data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of people employed in agriculture. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of people working in agriculture, including hunting, forestry and fishing.